


the Swamp

by pricesato



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Comfort/Angst, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-24 20:04:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7521238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pricesato/pseuds/pricesato
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asami looks for Korra after Chief Tonraq tells everyone that he didn't have Korra. She looks all over the world and ends up in the swamp where of course she finds her way, realizes feelings and figures out that everything happens for a reason. I'm terrible at summaries, but I think everyone knows what I'm talking about. There will be another chapter. Kind of like a two part one shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ever since Korra left for the Southern Water Tribe Asami has felt well... Lost. She didn't know why. She didn't know how. All she knew is that her best friend was gone and alone. Her best friend was back in her hometown with the same sadness in her eyes as when she left. Her best friend was back in her house where she grew up, reminiscing about not her fondest childhood memories, but of her worst memories overall. Her best friend was back in her house, not laughing and joking with her parents, clad in her famous lopsided smile, but with a stolid, emotionless face that struck concern in anyone looking at her. Her best friend was closed off and isolated in her hometown, praying that her parents don't ask her if she's okay because she doesn't want to admit that she's not. Her best friend is in her hometown...absolutely in pain. And Asami felt a massive pang of guilt because she wasn't there to help her.

I mean she offered to go to the Southern Water Tribe with Korra, but her best friend insisted this was something she needed to do by herself. Her best friend assured Asami she'd be okay and she'd be back in no time. Her best friend told Asami that she needed to be alone. And Asami believed her. She probably shouldn't have. Because then Asami probably wouldn't be alone herself in her car, driving all over the world trying to find Korra after Korra ran away from the hometown she was supposed to be recovering in.

It was something Asami did right after her best friend's father came off the Southern Water Tribe boat and told everyone she wasn't with him. It was something crazy, leaving everything behind to search for her best friend. It was something spontaneous, yes, but it was also something she needed to do.

Asami was now in an Earth Kingdom town, one that looked almost like something out of a history book if it weren't for the occasional satomobile. The town was old fashioned and small and Asami had to admit she liked the archaic sort of look. She had a map with her, marking off each town as she went along. This little town was the one she'd search next. 

Asami walked to each house, holding up a picture of her and Korra next to a satomobile after a race... The first time they had connected and the first time Korra saw something more in her. It was her favorite picture that brought her joy every time she looked at it. But now, holding it up for other people to see only brought her disappointment when they shook their heads, telling Asami they hadn't seen her best friend.

Asami walked to her car defeated after she'd questioned everyone with her favorite picture. Sitting back in her car, she put the picture in window for her to look at when she was driving. Even though it brought confusion and questioning looks from others as to why Asami had a picture of a random girl and was looking for her, it had always brought Asami joy. And right now, in her defeated state, it did its job. She sadly smiled at the picture and looked toward her passenger seat as if she knew something was there. And there was.

A small spirit with and yellow body and green like ears was sitting right next to her. It looked at her. She looked at it. It seemed as if Asami and the spirit were in some sort of unspoken staring contest.

"What?" Asami questioned the spirit.

"You're looking for the Avatar, correct?" The spirit questioned back.

"Yes, how did you-?" Asami needed to ask.

"It doesn't matter. All you need to know is that I know where to take you if you're looking for her."

"You do?" Asami asked. The spirit nodded. Then Asami spoke up again. "Show me where to go."

And so the spirit did. She drove not too far., only to the outskirts of the town they were in. But Asami was confused. This wasn't just any place. This was the swamp. 

"Why are you bringing me here? Is Korra here?" Asami questioned.

"No. She's not. She's somewhere else," the spirit stated.

"Then why did you bring me here. Take me to Korra."

"No. That's not what's supposed to happen at this moment in time. She need to be where she needs to be and you need to be here," the spirit explained.

"Why?" Asami asks.

"Because this is how things need to go. Just walk into the swamp and you'll find out soon enough as to what I'm talking about," the spirit said.

"How do I know you're not gonna kill me? This all seems like something out of a horror mover."

"Spirits don't kill Asami. People do. Just please go. If not yourself, for Korra."

Asami just let those words sink in. Next thing she knew she was stepping out of her car and into the ominous swamp. The swamp looked almost indescribable. It had an eerie like glow that emanated the border of the forest and it was lined with thick, dense fog. It was green-the most brilliant green Asami has ever seen and the color covered almost everything in the forest, from trees, sticks and even rocks. It was like the color was slowly taking over. The trees were tall and housed birds that sang long, harmonious songs and battled over the sound of a nearby creek that flowed in a rapid manner. Asami saw all of this and thought of it as nothing, but absolutely beautiful. She wanted to see more so he walked closer toward the edge.

As she walked, the creek and the birds became louder and louder. She also found that the smell of a sort of dampness of trees and flowers invaded her nostrils. The cool of the fog crept underneath her jacket that made her shiver up and down in response. She then stepped onto the mushy, cold terrain of the swamp and became swallowed whole by the green and the fog. 

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the most important woman in the entire economic world, Asami Sato," an old voice stated after Asami stepped into the swamp.

Asami swore the woman that owned that voice looked familiar. To the way the woman's back was hunched slightly forward, to the way her line of sight gazed down at the ground and to the way the woman clasped her hands behind her back. Even her green and yellow tunic, white hair pulled into a giant bun and the absence of shoes on the women's feet seemed familiar. But no... It couldn't be... "Toph?"


	2. Not Running From, Running To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami has a conversation with Toph to figure out why she's there

Asami looked at the woman in front of her. She had met some important people at galas and functions growing up as the daughter of the CEO of Future Industries and then taking up the role herself, but never had she met someone as important as Toph Beifong. Toph Beifong was one of the saviors that stopped the firelord back in the Hundred Years War. Alongside her and her finesse as one of the greatest earthbenders ever to live being none other than Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, Katara from the Southern Water Tribe, Suki of Kyoshi Island, Zuko of the Fire Nation, and Aang of the Southern Air Temple (aka the Avatar). Asami had heard stories from her mother of Toph and her friends, fighting with each other against the most evil dictator in history. Something about those stories made Asami dream of adventure and long for a story like theirs. And she got exactly what she dreamed of.

Asami had almost run over Mako, the firebender on the pro bending team the Fire Ferrets. To apologize, she had invited him to dinner, had her father sponsor his bankrupt team, dated Mako and watched as the team went to the championships. After that she fought against the equalists with the Avatar, unfortunately figured out her father was an equalist, destroyed the equalist movement and ties to her father’s company, became CEO of said company, rebuilt said company, fought with the AVAtar to stop the Avatar’s uncle from being the Dark Avatar, brought spirits to walk amongst humans, accidentally created an entire air nation from opening the spirit portals, funded the mission to find and gather said airbenders, got caught up in a secret society called the red Lotus, was stranded in the desert with the Avatar, fought against the Red Lotus, stopped anarchy and helped the AVatar in recovering after she almost died at the hands of extremists. Man would Asami’s mother never believe her if she told her this story. It seems like something from one of Varrick’s movers.

“Well are you just going to stand there like a lemur-monkey or are you going to follow me?” Toph asked Asami, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“What? A random stranger just walks into the swamp and you want them to follow you to what I assume is….your home?” Asami asked.

“Okay… First of all you’re not a stranger . You’re Asami Sato. One of the greatest innovative minds and CEOs this world has ever seen. Your record is clean no matter what anti-equalists say and you’ve fought alongside the Avatar three times when the apocalypse was nigh. As for me, you don’t have to worry about anything, you know this being a sort of sketchy situation we’re in: and old lady leading a young Republic city icon into the woods. I promise you though all I want to do is invite you for some tea. No killing. Fellow icon’s honor….Zuko’s honor.” Toph explained, chuckling at the end. She then turned away from Asami and started to walk deeper into the swamp.

Asami just stared at her again for a couple seconds only to hear Toph yell, “Let’s go. You’re not getting any younger here.” With that Asami followed the old woman into the swamp.

After a couple of minutes they both came to a cave that held a small fire pit in the middle of the layout, a washboard with some clothes next to it, some food in one corner and a cot in the other. The fire was dimly lit and so Toph attended it, throwing some more sticks into it. Asami watched the fire grow with color and heat. Toph then walked over to the cot, earthbended a chair next to it, sat in the chair and yawned.

“So why are you here?” Toph asked.

“I don’t really know. I was hoping you could tell me,” Asami stated.

“Sorry kid. I don’t have all the answers. I can only guide you to them. At least that’s what I assume I’m supposed to do,” Toph rambled.

“Guide me? What does that mean? A spirit told me to come here. I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do here,” Asami explained.

“Well, I don’t know either, bud. Maybe you’re here for a needed vacation. With all that work saving the world and maintaining a company, maybe the spirit thought you could use a rest. Or maybe to find yourself. Usually people go to Republic City to find themselves, but considering you grew up there, I suppose going to a swamp to find yourself is kind of the same thing, right?”

“What?” Asami asked confused.

“Nevermind. That’s not the right question. The real question, the question of the hour is why on earth (no pun intended) are you deep inside the earth kingdom, away from every single responsibility you have in Republic City and away from all of the family you’ve come to know?”

 

“Screw the question of the hour. There can be two questions for the hour...Who are you running from?” Toph asked. She looked toward her own feet, feeling Asami furrow her brow in either frustration or thought or maybe both. Asami then looked toward the ground, which led her to believe one thing. “That’s still not the right question is it? The question is, who are you running to?”

Asami looked up at Toph and clenched her jaw. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but failed as it grew larger and caused her eyes to well up with salty water and longing. She looked back down as if to hide her tears, but knew it was impossible from an all seeing woman. She then gathered herself enough to say one word. Or rather name. One name that has been her rock for the years she’s known it. The one name that has given her hope and not in an Avatar, figurehead type of way. One name that has helped her through everything with her father and everything with her own sadness. One name that she tries to say as much as she can so she can never forget the way it sounds. One name that is just so beautiful because it belongs to her. “Korra”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I am at my grandma's house and it's like 12 and I'm tired so I'm for this chapter being so short. I also have a lot of new ideas for other Korrasami related fanfics and I may write them after this so please just stay tuned. 
> 
> Does anyone even say that anymore

**Author's Note:**

> so yeah it's gonna be a two parter. maybe three. idk man...


End file.
